Discovering the Universe
Overview
To develop an understanding of the Universe and our place in it. This subject has a practical component, where students will learn how to access, analyse and interpret astronomical datasets. The emphasis is on conceptual understanding, not mathematical techniques.
Requisites
27-October-2024
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Describe our place in the Universe using a historical context
- Use basic physical laws to describe the motion of celestial bodies in the Universe
- Identify astronomical objects such as stars, planets and galaxies, and current areas of astronomical research
- Analyse modern observing techniques, and different telescope design for different wavelength regimes
- Make and interpret measurements from modern astronomical datasets
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
---|---|---|---|
On-campus Lecture |
2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
On-campus Class |
2.00 | 10 weeks | 20 |
On-campus Lab |
3 | 2 weeks | 6 |
Online Learning activities |
1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
Unspecified Activities Independent Learning |
7.33 | 12 weeks | 88 |
TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
---|---|---|---|
Assignment | Individual | 25% | 1,2,3,4 |
Examination | Individual | 40 - 50% | 1,2,3,4,5 |
Report | Individual/Group | 20 - 40% | 2,3,4,5,6 |
Hurdle
As the minimum requirements of assessment to pass a unit and meet all ULOs to a minimum standard, an undergraduate student must have achieved:
(i) an aggregate mark of 50% or more, and(ii) at least 40% in the final exam.Students who do not successfully achieve hurdle requirement (ii) will receive a maximum of 45% as the total mark for the unit.
Content
- Our place in the Cosmos: History of astronomy, observing the night sky, the scale of the Universe, basic laws of physics
- Observational Astronomy: The electromagnetic spectrum, telescopes and observing techniques
- The Solar Neighbourhood and beyond: The Sun and the planets, minor planets asteroids and comets, other worlds
- The Birth, Life and Death of Stars: Stellar nurseries, the evolution of stars, creation of the elements, the end products of stars, black holes, neutron stars
- Galaxies and cosmology: Our galaxy the Milky Way, the early Universe, growth of structure, galaxy formation and evolution, the Big Bang and the fate of the Universe
- Life in the Universe: Life on Earth and in the Solar System, conditions for life, the search for life in the Universe, SETI
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.